This invention relates to an apparatus for selectively operating a plurality of computers. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus which provides a comfortable working environment for a personal computer system in which an input (I/P) device and a video monitor are shared with the plurality of computers.
Nowadays it is becoming increasingly common among computer users to have a plurality of computers for a single work place; thus a shortage of space for the computers and the computer related equipment becomes one of the major obstacles to the arrangement.
The operation of the computer system, which includes a plurality of computers, would be improved if operations and functions of keyboards, which differ according to types of computers, are made uniform and a common video monitor is shared with the plurality of computers.
In order to realize the above idea, it has been proposed (for instance in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3005222) to provide a key-code converting unit having a key-code converter for making the input (I/P) data from the keyboard of one computer adaptable to another computer of different type in the system and a video selector for selectively inputting video signal from each computer to a common video monitor. More specifically, according to the device disclosed in the Japanese publication, the keyboard operations relating to computers of the different machine types are made uniform through the key-code converter, and the video signal from each of the computers is selectively displayed on the common video monitor through the video selector.
In the aforementioned device, it is required that each of a plurality of computers has its own I/P device connected thereto. This means that on the user's work desk, there are placed a plurality of computers and the same number of keyboards corresponding to each respective computers. When the user desires to select an operation of a particular one of the computers, he/she may simply select one of the keyboards corresponding to that particular computer. The spaces occupied by the set of I/P devices including a keyboard and a mouse is considerably large on the work desk in the ordinary office environment. For instance, if the user has two computers, he/she needs two sets of I/P devices. This means the two sets of I/P devices have to be placed on the work desk available to the user. In order to cope with this situation, some users stand or lean the keyboard (say, a 2.sup.nd KB) not in use against the video monitor or the computer. When wishing to use the 2.sup.nd KB, the current keyboard in use (say, a 1.sup.st KB) must be moved to where it will not bother the operation of the 2.sup.nd KB.
As a result, the user's operability of the computer system as a whole, especially on a narrow desk, is far from fully satisfactory.